Coin-controlled vending-machine.



PATIEINTED AUG. 18, 1903. F. W. GERLAGH &-M. M. OULP. 00m CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1906.

FE l

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

. FRANK W. GERLAOH AND. MILTON M. GULF, OF FRANKLIN, OHIO.

COIN-CONTROLLED VENDING-MACHINE.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1908.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that we, FRANK W. GEELAoH and JMILTON M. OULP, citizens of the, United States, residing at Franklin, in the county of Warren and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful-1m rovements in Coin Controlled Vending-Mac ines and we do declare the following to be'a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it a pertains to make and use the same.

his invention relates to improvements in coin controlled cigar vending machines.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of machines of this character, whereby the operating mechanism will be simplified and the number of parts of said mechanism decreased, thereby lessening the possibility of the machine getting out of order and providing a strong, durable and reliable vending machine for cigars or other articles.

- A further object is to provide means actuated by the operation of the machine to close the coin slot after the delivery of the last cigar in the machine.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view, taken above the discharge plate of the machine; Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view through a portion of the casing and the discharge late, showing the mechanism for holding anc releasing said discharge plate at one side of the coin chute; Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the construction of the slot closing mechanism arranged on the opposite side of the coin chute; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the apparatus.

Iteferrlng more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the casing of the machine. In the body of the casing is arranged an especially constructed box 3 adapted to contain the desired number of cigars and to support the same in position to be delivered one at a time by the vending mechanism. The box 3 is referably of a flat elongated construction su ciently deep and wide to contain a single layer or tier of cigars.

In placing the box3 in the casing for use, the same is adapted to engage orrest against an inclined supporting board orplate 5 arranged in the body of the casing. The lower 0 en end of the box 3 when thus arranged in t e casing issupported in a rectangular frame 6 secured to the board 5, said frame being provided at each end with spring metal clamping fingers 7, which engage the side edges of the box and securely hold the same in place. posed immediately above a discharge plate 8 which is slidably mounted in guideways 9, on.

the sides of the casing, as shown. In the late 8 is formed a longitudinally disposed ischarge slot 10 through which the ci ars from the box 3 are discharged when the plate 8 is pushed back to brin said slot beneath the end of the box and the rame 6, as will be understood. The late 8 is normally thrown forwardly and he din an inoperative position against stops 12 on the sides of the casing by means of coil springs 13 which are connected at one end to the forward edge of the late and at the opposite ends to the sides 0 the casing, as shown.

Pivotally mounted in a pair of upwardly projecting arms 14 on the frame 6 is a baillike retainer or detent 15, said detent being here shown as formed of a single piece of wire bent midway between its ends to form a rectangular, inwardly-curved stop or cigar engaging portion 16 which is adapted to project into the opening in the lower end of the box 3 and to pass between the lower cigar and the one next above it in said box 3 when the discharge plate 8 is operated. The detent rod or wire 15 is provided on one end with a right angularly-bent crank arm 17, to the lower end of which is connected a coil spring 19, the opposite end of which projects through a hole in the plate or board 5 and is connected to the inner edge of the discharge plate, whereby when said plate is pushed inwardly to bring the discharge slot therein beneath the end of the box 3, said detent will be rocked to cause the stop or cigar engaging portion 16 to pass between the lowermost and the next adjacent cigar, thereby preventing more than one cigar from passing through the slot.

The vending mechanism comprises a plunger 20, which is slidably'mounted in the front side of the machine, and has its inner end working through the lower rear end of a coin chute 21, the forward upper end of which communicates with a coin slot 22 formed in The lower end of the box 3 is dis-' the front of the machine, as shown. The lower rear end of the coin chute 21 is bifurcated, as shown at 24, and in said bifurcated movement of the same is limited. A supporting bracket 25 is arranged on the inner side of the front plate of the casing through which the inner end of the plunger is ada ted to slide. Around said inner end of the p unger between the shoulder thereon and the bracket 25 is arranged a coil spring, the tension of which is exerted to normally hold the lunger rod out in a retracted position. The imited movement of theplunger 20 prevents the same from pushing the discharged plate back to an operative position without the insertion of a coin in the chute 21, the coin when dropped in the chute being adapted to pass to a position between the inner end of the plunger and the adjacent reduced por tion of the discharge plate in the bifurcated end of the chute, thereby practically increasing the length of the plunger sufficiently to enable the same to force the discharge plate back far enough to bring the slot 10 therein beneath the end of the box 3, which will permit the lowermost cigar to fall through said slot and be delivered to the purchaser. The bottom of the bifurcated end of the coin chute is provided with a discharge opening 26, through which the coin will drop after the discharge plate has been brought to an operative position.

In order that the discharge plate may be held in an operative position until the coin has been discharged through the opening 26, a detent or catch 27is provided. Said detent is here shown and is preferably in the form of a lever pivotally mounted on one side of the coin chute and provided with a forwardly rojecting plate engaging end 28, in which is formed a notch 29 to engage the reduced edge of the plate 8 when the latter is forced to an operative position. The rearwardly projecting notched end of the detent lever 27 is of less length and therefore lighter than the forwardly-projecting end of the same, and is consequently overbalanced by said forward end to cause said notch to automatically engage the edge of the plate 8, as will be understood. The lower edge of the forwardlyprojecting end of the detent lever 27 is formed at an angle or inclined downwardly toward its forward end, as shown at 30, said inclined edge being adapted to be engaged by a bifurcated or forked releasing plate 31 which is carried by the plunger 20 and is arranged thereon adjacent to the annular shoulder of the plunger, so that when the plunger is ushed forward or inward the outer end of the ever can descend and the inner end will rise and its notch will engage with the plate 8, but when the spring forces the plunger outwardly after operating the discharge plate 31, said releasing plate will engage the lower inclined edge of the detent lever 27 forcing the same upwardly and the notched end 28 of the same downwardly, thereby disengaging the notch from the operating plate, which will permit I j means of which the insertion of a coin in said slot will be prevented when the last cigar has been discharged from the machine. The slot closing mechanism is here shown and is preferably in the form of a ratchet wheel 32 pivotally mounted upon the side of the coin chute. On the outer side of the ratchet wheel is secured a spring or arm 33, on the outer end of which is formed a right angular, inwardly-projecting stop lug or detent 34 which projects through an opening 35 in said wheel and normally bears against a circular plate 36 arranged on the side of the coin chute. Said arm and lug are carried around by the movement of the wheel until the lug 34 is brought opposite to alined openings 37 in the coin chute, at which time the spring arm will force the lug through said openings and across the slot, thereby preventing the insertion of a coin therein. The teeth on the wheel 32 are adapted to be engaged by a pawl or other suitable operating mechanism 38, which is slidably mounted in the bracket 25 and is connected to the forward edge of the operating plate 8, so that at'each forward movement of said plate when operated to discharge a cigar will cause said pawl to engage the teeth and turn the wheel a certain distance, the teeth on said wheel being arranged so that when the discharge plate 8 has been operated, the same number of times as there are cigars in the machine the stop lug or detent 34 on the spring arm or plate will be brought opposite to the alined openings 37 in the coin chute through which said lug will be projected thereby stopping or reventing the insertion of a coin, as hereinbefbre described. Beneath the coin discharge opening in the chute 21 is arranged a drawer or coin receptacle 39, into which the coins will drop and by means of which the same are safely held until removed by the proper authority.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, roportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

In a vending machine, a case, delivery plate reciprocally mounted therein a perforated coin chute, a perforated toothed wheel adjacent thereto, a spring on the wheel with its free end provided with a lug, and a pawl on the plate for engaging with said wheel and retaining it until said lug is in position to project through all of said perforations.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set 15 our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK W. GERLAOH. MILTON M. OULP. Witnesses:

N. A. HAMILTON, J. D. MILLER. 

